I was reading the recent Rigdon BoM theory thread, and was confused by the material below that was posted by Craig C. I was under the impression that Hurlbut originally reported that the manuscript recovered from Spalding's widow was NOT "Manuscript Found", and that he never was able to recover it; whereas Briggs indicates that they did have it early on. Am I misremembering what Hurlbut said? Follow up question...if Rigdon stole "Manuscript Found", would we ever expect to find it--i.e. would we expect Spalding to have created a copy?



James A. Briggs, the lawyer for D. P. Hurlburt, claimed that Hurlbut recovered both Manuscript Found and the Oberlin Manuscript from the Spalding widow, and that Hurlbut compared Manuscript Found to the Book of Mormon at the home of Warren Corning, jr. in Mentor, in December 1833. On March 22, 1886, Briggs wrote to Arthur B. Deming to say that the Spalding manuscript at Oberlin College was not Manuscript Found, and was of inferior writing quality: "…I have just read the Manuscript Story [The Oberlin Manuscript] sent me a few days ago, by request of my old and much valued friend, Mr. L.L. Rice, of Honolulu, and in my opinion it settles nothing, save that the author of the story was a very weak brother, and if written by Rev. Solomon Spaulding, he was a man of indigent talents, and the money paid for his college expenses was wasted. Allow me to doubt if he wrote it. You must get some better and more positive link in the chain of evidence than this story, recently printed, to convince the world that the original "Manuscript Found," written by Solomon Spaulding, was not the basis for the historical portion of your Mormon Bible. I have no doubt we had the "Manuscript Found" before us, that we compared it with the Mormon Bible, that the style in which the "Manuscript Found" was written was the same as that of the Mormon Bible. The names -- peculiar -- were the same, not to be forgotten. The names Lehi, Nephi, Maroni, etc., and the expression "and it came to pass" often repeated. This manuscript did not go to Mr. Howe. What did Hurlbut do with it? Some few years ago I wrote to him and asked him who had it -- what he did with it. He did not answer my letter. He received it, as [it was] not returned to me. Dr. Hurlbut died in Ohio two years ago last June. He is silent now, the grave closed over him . . ."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2013 08:00PM by facsimile3.

Your questions are addressed in Episode 2 at http://mormonleaks.com.

There is evidence that Hurlbut took everything that was in the Spalding widow's trunk, including the Oberlin Manuscript (Manuscript Story) and Manuscript Found.

Briggs (Hurlbut's attorney) was one of four Kirtland witnesses who claimed that Hurlbut showed Manuscript Found and compared it to the Book of Mormon in Dec 1833.

According to Eber Howe, Hurlbut only gave him Manuscript Story, not Manuscript Found.

As to copies of Manuscript Found...

For a brief period after Manuscript Found was submitted for publication (1813), the manuscript briefly disappeared from the print shop. Spalding reportedly suspected that Rigdon had taken it with the aim of making a personal copy.

The print shop evidently made a copy and returned the original to the Spalding widow. She stored it in her hair-covered trunk. We know this because her daughter remembered reading it. This is the copy Hurlbut likely recovered and showed in Kirtland.

When the bookselling operation went bankrupt (1823), the owner was Harrison Lambdin, a close friend of Rigdon. Lambdin likely sold or gave away any remaining texts at the store. By that time, the Spalding widow had moved hundreds of miles away. Rigdon was Pastpr of the First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh, and it's logical Rigdon would have acquired any available copy from his friend.

Around 1823, Rev. John Winter claimed to have seen “a large manuscript” which he described as “a romance of the Bible” in Rigdon’s study. Winter further claimed that Rigdon told him that “a Presbyterian Minister named Spaulding, whose health had failed, brought this to the printer to see if it would pay to publish it. This and other evidence linking Rigdon to Spalding is discussed in Episode 3 at MormonLeaks.com.

Thanks for the info, Craig. I have never been much of a Spalding "believer", but Sidney Rigdon's preaching that "God would soon give us a new and fuller revelation of his will" has always left me VERY suspicious of his involvement. Given the connections between Rigdon and Spalding, and the independent witnesses leveling the Spalding accusations without knowing those connections, I am now leaning Spalding's way. As another poster commented in the other thread, however, the truthfulness of the BoM is NOT dependent on this connection, but is easily fasified by history and science. This is certainly an interesting episode, though, adding depth and richness to the overall story.

Quick question: I noticed in the footnotes for slide 78 that WW Phelps was the source of the rumor that Hurlbut had sold Manuscript Found to the Mormon leaders for $400 or $500. What was the context of this assertion by Phelps?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2013 08:00PM by facsimile3.

facsimile3 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the info, Craig. I have never been
> much of a Spaulding "believer", but Sidney
> Rigdon's preaching that "God would soon give us a
> new and fuller revelation of his will" has always
> left me VERY suspicious of his involvement.

Consider this:

http://www.sidneyrigdon.com/dbroadhu/LDS/ldsnews2.htm#090178

We [Rigdon's 1820s Whitney parishioners at Kirtland] prospered in all our efforts ..., I was naturally religious... we united ourselves with the Campbellites... Sidney Rigdon was then a great Campbellite preacher. ...

Note: Note: A similar, but more detailed description of the Whitneys' experience as members of Sidney Rigdon's Campbellite congregation, is provided in Edward Tullige's interview of Elizabeth Ann Whitney. The following is recorded in his 1877 Women of Mormondom, pp. 38-42: "...first came the famous Alexander Campbell and his compeer, Sidney Rigdon, to the West with the "lamp." Seekers after truth, whose hearts had, been strangely moved by some potent spirit, whose influence they felt pervading but understood not, saw the lamp and admired.

Mr. Campbell, of Virginia, was a reformed Baptist. He with Sidney Rigdon, a Mr. Walter Scott, and some other gifted men, had dissented from the regular Baptists, from whom they differed much in doctrine. They preached baptism for the remission of sins, promised the gift of the Holy Ghost, and believed in the literal fulfillment of prophesy. They also had some of the apostolic forms of organization in their church.

In Ohio they raised up branches. In Kirtland and the regions round, they made many disciples, who bore the style of "disciples," though the popular sect-name was "Campbellites." Among them were Eliza R. Snow, Elizabeth Ann Whitney... Light came to Sidney Rigdon from the Mormon Elijah, and he comprehended the light; but Alexander Campbell rejected the prophet when his message came; he would have none of his angels.... Now there dwelt in Kirtland in those days disciples who feared the Lord. -- And they "spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name."

"We had been praying," says mother Whitney, "to know from the Lord how we could obtain the gift of the Holy Ghost. My husband, Newel K. Whitney, and myself, were Campbellites. We had been baptized for the remission of our sins, and believed in the laying on of hands and the gifts of the spirit. But there was no one with authority to confer the Holy Ghost upon us. We were seeking to know how to obtain the spirit and the gifts bestowed upon the ancient saints.

Sister Eliza Snow was also a Campbellite. We were acquainted before the restoration of the gospel to the earth. She, like myself, was seeking for the fullness of the gospel. She lived at the time in Mantua.

One night -- it was midnight -- as my husband and I, in our house at Kirtland, were praying to the father to be shown the way, the spirit rested upon us and a cloud overshadowed the house.

It was as though we were out of doors. The house passed away from our vision. We were not conscious of anything but the presence of the spirit and the cloud that was over us.

We were wrapped in the cloud. A solemn awe pervaded us. We saw the cloud and we felt the spirit of the Lord.

Then we heard a voice out of the cloud saying:

'Prepare to receive the word of the Lord, for it is coming!'

At this we marveled greatly; but from that moment we knew that the word of the Lord was coming to Kirtland."

--------------------

Whose voice did they hear? Whose voice did David Whitmer hear?
These disembodied voices in New York and Ohio each spur the
hearers on to anticipate a great miracle, about to happen.

In Whitmer's case a second voice told him of golden plates
and a heavenly manifestation occurred, to display them.

In the Whitney family's case, the connection with plates
of gold was not immediate, but soon after came to them.

Where was Elder Sidney Rigdon, when these angelic voices spoke?

UD

facsimile3 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
...
>
> Quick question: I noticed in the footnotes for
> slide 78 that WW Phelps was the source of the
> rumor that Hurlbut had sold Manuscript Found to
> the Mormon leaders for $400 or $500. What was the
> context of this assertion by Phelps?

See here:

http://www.solomonspalding.com/docs1/1842ClkB.htm#pg261b


But another thing: I expect we shall never be able to lay our hands on the identical manuscript, and thus prove by comparison in the sight of all that one was the foundation or origin of the other. But be this as it may, the very fact that it is lost, is evidence in my mind that the manuscript was the foundation of the Mormon book. Dr. Hurlbut took the manuscript. It is reported in Missouri, that he sold it for four hundred dollars; that the manuscript is not to be found. I must confess that my suspicions are, that a deep laid plot has been consummated to obtain possession of the manuscript, and thus preclude all possibility of its ever being compared by competent men with the Book of Mormon. At least my suspicions will not be removed until the manuscript -- and the whole manuscript -- is returned to the hands of its owner. I am suspicious that a deep and long game has been played by the Mormons to obtain and destroy the manuscript. Someone has got that manuscript and has got it secreted from the public eye. And if that manuscript cannot be found....

In 1839-40, W. W. Phelps was out of the Church. It was mentioned
in newspapers of that time that he was preparing to publish a
book exposing the fraud of Mormonism. Unfortunately I cannot
now locate the clipping I had, detailing his panned exposure.

But, recall that in 1839 a trove of captured Mormon documents
were being quoted from, in the Missouri court hearings and
other situations relating to the Mormon expulsion. Phelps
was in a position to gain access to such impounded Mormon
documents, to use in his planned exposé.

For some reason he changed hs plans, rejoined the Church
and was soon favored with numerous wives and a comfortable
life. His book was never published. What it had to say
regarding D. P. Hurlbut, I suppose we'll never know.

I'll have to look for the mislaid clipping, to see what
Phelps revealed regarding the Book of Mormon in 1840.

UD

This may help explain things:

http://www.sidneyrigdon.com/dbroadhu/NY/wayn1832.htm#122033

THE WAYNE SENTINEL.
Palmyra, New York, December 20, 1830

The Mormon mystery developed. -- Doct. P. Hurlbert, of Kirtland, Ohio, who has been engaged for some time in different parts of this state, but chiefly in this neighborhood, on behalf of his fellow-townsmen, in the pursuit of facts and information concerning the origin and design of the Book of Mormon, which, to the surprise of all in this region who know the character of the leaders in the bungling imposition, seems already to have gained multitudes of believers in various parts of the country, requests us to say, that he has succeeded in accomplishing the object of his mission, and that an authentic history of the whole affair will shortly be given to the public. The original manuscript of the Book was written some thirty years since, by a respectable clergyman, now deceased, whose name we are not permitted to give. It was designed to be published as a romance, but the author died soon after it was written; and hence the plan failed. The pretended religious character of the work has been superadded by some more modern hand -- believed to be the notorious Rigdon. These particulars have been derived by Dr. Hurlbert from the widow of the author of the original manuscript.

----------------
Note 1: Doctor Philastus Hurlbut evidently left the above news release with the Editor of the Wayne Sentinel on or about Dec. 12, 1833. The Editor found space for the report in his issue of the following week (on Dec. 20, 1833). By the time the report was published, Hurlbut was well on his way back to Ohio. Once he had returned to the Kirtland area, in the last days of December, 1833, Hurlbut reportedly made public display of some Solomon Spalding mansucript writings, and it was perhaps at that time that he first publicized the supposed connection of "the notorious Rigdon" with the Spalding authorship claims for the Book of Mormon. Strangely, Hurlbut seems to have made no attempt to solicit statements mentioning Rigdon's alleged pre-1830 interaction with Joseph Smith, Jr.

Note 2: Hurlbut's Palmyra news release does not give the name of the "respectable clergyman" who wrote the "original manuscript" of the Book of Mormon, but subsequent reports made in Geauga Co., Ohio would identify the author as Solomon Spalding, a former Congregational Evangelist, who died in 1816. As for Hurlbut's claim to have accomplished "the object of his mission;" that accomplishment was apparently his securing the originals to Solomon Spalding's extant writings from the home of Mr. Jerome Clark in Hartwick, new York. At about this same time Hurlbut wrote to Solomon Spalding's widow, informing her that he had taken possession of her late husband's "Manuscript Found." Although several Kirtland area witnesses later reported that Hurlbut had exhibited that particular manuscript of Spalding's, both in private and public meetings, D. P. Hurlbut eventually went on the record as denying that he ever obtained such a work of fiction from the Clark residence.

>By the time the report was published, Hurlbut
>was well on his way back to Ohio. Once he had
>returned to the Kirtland area, in the last days
>of December, 1833, Hurlbut reportedly made
>public display of some Solomon Spalding manuscript
>writings...

D. P. Hurlbut returned to northern Ohio about Dec. 15, 1833.
He had previously lived in Kirtland Flats, but by this period
Hurlbut had evidently moved a few miles away to Mentor. At
some point he took the trouble to write a letter to Spalding's
widow (then living in Monson, MA) telling her that he had
retrieved "Manuscript Found" from the keeping of Jerome Clark,
at Hartwick, New York. It is unlikely that Hurlbut wrote
that confirmation after the end of 1833. By early 1834 his
story had begun to change, and by April of that year, it
appears he was no longer claiming to have obtained that
particular old document.

Therefore, when we speak of "what Hurlbut claimed," it is
important to attach a date to our mention of him. His story
changed. Late in December of 1833 Hurlbut was traveling
about Geauga County, Ohio holding public meetings and
exhibiting what he purported to be "Manuscript Found."
Several different people later reported his activities at
that time. It was even reported that Martin Harris attended
one of these meetings and contested a statement made by
Isaac Hale, which Hurlbut was also displaying at that time.

So -- what happened to stop Hurlbut from holding these
contentious and controversial meetings, in which he was
reportedly comparing a Spalding manuscript with the words
of the Book of Mormon?

That is where history begins to get very muddy and we cannot
determine for certain why Hurlbut began to change the claims
he was making. We do know that he entered a Mormon worship
service being held in the schoolhouse at Kirtland Flats --
that he there challenged the Book of Mormon -- probably
tried to advertise his ongoing series of public meetings --
and evidently got into an altercation with Joseph Smith.

Probably the handwriting of the manuscript Hurlbut was then
exhibiting was questioned by somebody. Perhaps Hurlbut had
not obtained sufficient evidence from Jerome Clark, to
convince skeptics that the handwriting being displayed in
his lectures was actually Spalding's. We know Hurlbut had
some miscellaneous sheets with Spalding's signature on
them, but the proof may have been unconvincing to some.

We know that on or about Dec. 31, 1833, Hurlbut had traveled
to adjacent Ashtabula County ad had there obtained the
required handwriting confirmation from some of Spalding's
old neighbors. But..... did he then show any of them the
same document he had been exhibiting in the Kirtland area?
Maybe not. After the end of 1833 there is only one time
that Hurlbut is known to have showed Manuscript Found
to anybody, and it was not in a public meeting.

Early in January of 1834 Hurlbut was arrested in Painesville
and taken to Kirtland by a Mormon Constable. He was held
there for several days, evidently under the power of the
Mormon authorities, waiting a legal hearing. The former
Kirtland Justice of the Peace, Mr. Dowen, was then coming
to the end of his term in office, but perhaps his home
was still being used as a makeshift jail. At any rate,
it seems that Hurlbut was there for a few days, before
being returned to face a hearing in Painesville. I believe
that it was during this period that D. P. Hurlbut last
showed the Manuscript Found to anybody.

Did he have the veritable document? Did he fool Dowen
with a forgery? Was his news release in the Palmyra paper
and his series of lectures nothing more than an elaborate
scam, to intimidate Joseph Smith -- to try and blackmail
the Mormon leader?

Nobody knows. My conclusion is that Hurlbut actually had
a Spalding manuscript that resembled the Book of Mormon;
that he displayed this document in December of 1833, but
by January of 1834 was unwilling (or unable) to produce
it at his Painesville hearing and subsequent trial at
Chardon, Ohio.

Dale Broadhurst
web-host, SolmonSpalding.com

Thank you, Dale, for being such an amazing source of information. I think I had conflated Hurlbut with Howe, when I suggested that Hurlbut originally claimed to have NOT found the correct manuscript. I realize now that there is quite a bit more to the pre-Howe story.

So, Hurlbut was arrested for allegedly trying to kill Joseph Smith. Is it safe to assume that these were trumped-up charges to silence a critic or did Hurlbut actually go off the deep end and make such an attempt?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2013 08:00PM by facsimile3.

facsimile3 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
...
> So, Hurlbut was arrested for allegedly trying to
> kill Joseph Smith. Is it safe to assume that
> these were trumped-up charges to silence a critic
> or did Hurlbut actually go off the deep end and
> make such an attempt?

My best guess is that Hurlbut intruded upon a Mormon sacrament
meeting in the Kirtland Flats schoolhouse around December 22nd
and was thrown out of the building by Joseph Smith. Under such
circumstances it would not have been unusual for Hurlbut to
have said something like: "Push me one more time, Joe, and
you'll not live to do it again!!"

At any rate, Smith took the matter to the local Justice of
the Peace and Hurlbut fled town. It didn't much matter what
Hurlbut had said -- Mormons at the time had heard something
and Smith could easily tailor their testimony before a
judge to make Hurlbut look like he was trying to kill him.

Hurlbut may have also filed charges against Smith, for
assault. When the altercation came up for a hearing a
few days later it was brought before a Justice of the
Peace in Painesville (not Kirtland) and two judges sat
in on the hearing -- an odd situation, unless perhaps
Hurlbut's charges against Smith were being considered
at the same time that Smith's accusations were getting
the hearing he wanted.

Whatever happened, Smith seems to have summoned witnesses
whose testimony was more compelling. Preserved records
say nothing of a judgment favoring Hurlbut -- however
Smith won the day and got Hurlbut bound over for a full
scale trial, to be held a few weeks later.

Hurlbut reportedly sold his collection of documents and
writings to the Painesville editor, and nobody discovered
anything useful to expose Joseph Smith after that. Most
of what Hurlbut handed over to Howe was composed of old
accusations against the Smiths, made in New York, and
that sort of thing had been previously published. Smith
wasn't much damaged by that sort of thing.

UD